Tofu for Dummies

It's been ages since I've posted any recipes here, and I don't know if anyone still reading has any interest in vegan cooking, but this one is too good (and easy) not to share. It is absolutely the simplest, quickest, most foolproof tofu recipe ever.

All you need is around 20 oz. firm or extra firm tofu, 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce, and 1/2 cup of peanut butter. That's it! (It sounds like a weird combination, I know, but trust me.)

Cube the tofu and brown it however you like (I used a bit of olive oil). Soften the peanut butter a bit in the microwave or on the stovetop, and whisk in the barbecue sauce. Pour the sauce over the hot, browned tofu, and serve with rice or quinoa and a veggie if you like.

You can control the spice level with your choice of barbecue sauce.

This serves 3-4 people.

Vegan Meringue

It is now possible to make vegan meringue, and you will never guess how! I made these tasty chocolate meringue cookies yesterday -

And I had some leftover frosting from a cake I made over the weekend, so I obviously couldn't resist putting the two together -

You can find more information, and lots of recipe ideas, on the Vegan Meringue Facebook page.

Here's how I made mine: 

Chocolate Meringue Cookies (vegan)

1-1/3 cups garbanzo bean cooking liquid
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Simmer the bean cooking liquid on the stove, stirring very frequently, until reduced to about 3/4 cup. Chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Pour reduced liquid into a mixing bowl (I used my Kitchenaid stand mixer), leaving behind any sediment that is stuck to the container. Whip on your highest speed setting until stiff peaks form (this took a long time for me - like 15-20 minutes).

Add sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Add cocoa powder, vanilla, and cream of tartar. Continue to whip at high speed until stiff peaks form again (this may take another 15-20 minutes).

Fold in chocolate chips; drop by spoonfuls and bake on parchment lined cookie sheets at 220 degrees for 1.5 hours. When cooking time is up, turn off oven and crack the door, allowing cookies to come slowly to room temperature.

Store in airtight container.

Notes: 

I used homemade bean cooking liquid (and I had added a little salt during cooking); you should be able to use canned as well.

If the amount of bean cooking liquid that you have varies from the amount I've listed, you can adjust the other ingredients proportionally.

Food!

I haven't posted any recipes in ages! So here's what I made today to take camping with the family...

My son, much to my chagrin, has a love affair with anything wrapped and packaged. I love to make things from scratch, and he turns his nose up at most of the food I slave to prepare for him. Frustrating! This is the latest in an ongoing attempt to create a bar that mimics the pre-packaged version he loves. If I was cooking for myself, I'd go with something a little healthier, but if these get him off the store bought stuff, I'm okay with them being a little sweet. :-)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

1 cup rolled oats

1 ½ cups crispy brown rice cereal

¼ cup lightly salted peanuts, roughly chopped

a pinch of salt

½ cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup brown rice syrup

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup chocolate chips

1 teaspoon coconut oil                 

Line an 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Pour oats, cereal, peanuts, and salt into a bowl and mix together.

In a small saucepan over very low heat, combine peanut butter and brown rice syrup. Remove from the stove and mix in vanilla.

Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir with a rubber spatula. Press mixture into prepared pan and allow bars to set in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Remove from refrigerator and cut into 12 bars.

Heat chocolate chips and coconut oil in microwave for 30 seconds (stir and add 15 second increments if needed), then drizzle over bars and refrigerate until set again.

****************

And next, a slightly modified version of a cookie from one of Dreena Burton's cookbooks... 

(I don't care what kind of photo staging/editing expert you may be; I challenge you to make oatmeal cookies look photogenic.)

The Very Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 ½ cups + 2 T. spelt flour

2 t. baking powder

½ t. baking soda

1 cup rolled oats

¼ cup unrefined sugar

½ cup raisins

1 t. cinnamon

a generous pinch of allspice

½ t. salt

½ cup maple syrup

1-2 t. blackstrap molasses

1 T. vanilla

½ cup canola oil (or substitute half applesauce)

Mix dry ingredients; add wet ingredients; bake on parchment lined cookie sheet for 11 minutes at 350 degrees.

Macaroni Salad

Yesterday I got a summertime craving for some super traditional macaroni salad. Amazingly, I don't think this is something I've craved in the ~10 years since I've been vegan, and I think this is the first time I've ever made a vegan version. It turned out really good so I thought I'd share.

Vegan Macaroni Salad

• 1 lb. pasta of your choice
  
• 1 cup Vegenaise (reduced fat version if you can find it)
  
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 sweet yellow onion, diced small
  
• 2 stalks celery, diced small
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and diced small (I used green but I think any color would work fine)
  
• 1 large grated carrot
  
• 1 small can sliced olives

Cook the pasta, drain, and rinse with cold water until it's no longer hot. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, stir, add pasta, and stir again. Chill for at least several hours or if possible, overnight.

I wanted something really traditional so I went with white pasta, but I'd be curious to see how this might work with brown rice pasta...

Freaky Tofu

It's freaky because it requires so few ingredients, and because it sounds kind of gross until you eat it and realize IT IS NOT GROSS. AT ALL.

Freaky Tofu

~ 1 pound tofu, cut into 1" cubes
~ 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup barbeque sauce

To serve:
fresh ground pepper
cooked brown rice
greens are good on the side*

In a cast iron pan, heat the oil, add tofu cubes, and cook until browned. In a medium saucepan (large enough to hold both the sauce and eventually the tofu cubes as well), combine peanut butter and barbeque sauce. When the tofu is almost done browning, put the pot with the sauce ingredients over medium-low heat and stir with a whisk until smooth and evenly heated (this will only take a couple of minutes). Add the browned tofu to the pan with the sauce and toss to coat.

* If you're going to cook brown rice and greens to serve with the tofu, like I did, a quick tip for minimizing your dishes is to just add the chopped greens on top of your cooking rice for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. The steam will cook them and then you can either serve them separately or toss them in with the rice before serving. If you serve them on the side, they are good with a squeeze of lemon juice and some salt and pepper.

Bliss

Make these. You will thank me. You might even be tempted to name your first born child after me. Really.

Amazing Coconutty Brownies

1/2 cup white flour
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup applesauce
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Mix dry, mix wet, combine, blah blah blah, pour into greased 8" square pan and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes (toothpick test).

Mac & Cheese

I haven't posted any recipes in a long time... sorry about that. Food blogging falls somewhere pretty low on my priority list, and while I do enjoy it, things have been hectic around here lately!

Here's a mac and cheese recipe that I've been tweaking over the past few months; I finally settled on the 'final' version. I think it strikes a good balance between the uber-healthy vegan mac and cheese recipes I've tried (and been somewhat disappointed with) in the past and the super-decadent variations that inevitably leave me feeling guilty and yucky. And it's one of the only things I cook that Carlos will actually eat. (I choose to believe that is entirely due to his toddler picky-ness, and not a comment on my culinary talent!)

Mac & Cheese

• 16 oz. whole wheat pasta of your choice (I like fusilli best)
• 2-1/4 cups plain soymilk (or other non-dairy milk of your choice)
• 2 T. red miso paste
• 1 roasted red pepper (roast it yourself or go the easy way and buy them in a jar)
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1 cup Daiya vegan cheese shreds (I prefer the white variety in this recipe but either works fine; other brands will work as well if you don't have Daiya), plus a little extra for sprinkling on top
• 2 T. Earth Balance margarine (optional)

Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. While you're waiting for it to boil, combine soymilk, miso, red pepper, cashews, lemon juice, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and cornstarch in a blender and process until totally smooth.

Around the time that your water boils and you begin to cook your pasta, pour the blender mixture into a separate pot, add Daiya cheese and margarine, and cook over medium heat, watching carefully and stirring often to prevent scalding. You want to get the cheese sauce to a gentle boil for a few minutes so the corn starch will thicken the mixture up.

Drain cooked pasta and return to large pot. Pour cheese sauce on top and stir. Scoop into individual bowls and top with additional shredded cheese.

More Food Ramblings

One thing I've been pleased to discover as I've worked these past several weeks on incorporating healthier foods into my diet is how satisfying and delicious the simplest meals can be, once you've given your body a break from the junk food and allowed it to acclimate to a more whole-foods regimen. Lunch today was so simple, yet so yummy - brown rice, black beans, mixed steamed fresh greens, and half of a baked sweet potato - each component cooked simply and with no seasonings (except for a bit of sea salt in the beans). Awesome!

Also on today's cooking agenda: re-working an old favorite muffin recipe to bring it into alignment with my new no-refined-sugars or -flour lifestyle... this recipe is a healthed-up version the banana chocolate chip muffins in The Joy of Vegan Baking, which is itself a spin on a banana cake recipe from The Peaceful Palate, written by my friend Jennifer Raymond.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
makes 12 muffins

3-4 ripe bananas
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup canola oil, applesauce, or a combination of the two
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-3/4 cups white whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour would probably also work well)
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 to 1 full cup chocolate chips (grain sweetened is best)
1/2 to 1 full cup dried fruit*, optional

* In the past I've always used dried cranberries, which taste great; however, they are usually sweetened with regular sugar, so in the future, I'm planning to experiment with other types of dried fruits that are unsweetened.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas, then mix in the maple syrup, applesauce and/or oil, and vanilla. Stir in the flour, flax seeds, baking soda, and salt and mix well. Next add the chocolate chips and dried fruit and stir to incorporate.

Scoop into muffin tins, filling each one 3/4 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes in preheated oven, or until a toothpick or butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Miso Soup, Two Ways

I've been eating miso soup almost daily lately, and I've settled upon two ways to prepare it. First I'll give you the fancy version, then the quick-and-dirty. :-)

If I have time to invest 10 minutes in preparation (sad to say, it's not always the case, though I'm trying to do better), here's what I do -

Miso Soup
serves two

2 cups water
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 dried mushroom
1 tablespoon wakame flakes
~ 1/4 cup cubed tofu (any kind will work)
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1 rounded tablespoon red miso

In a small/medium saucepan, combine water, sliced carrots, sliced green onions, mushroom, and wakame flakes. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. While you are waiting for the water to boil, combine ginger, miso, and a splash of water (maybe 1 tablespoon) in a small cup or bowl and mix until the miso is creamy/dissolved. After you remove the water/veggies from the heat, stir in the cubed tofu and the ginger/miso mixture. Spoon into two bowls and enjoy!

The next option is for those times when you're feeling a bit peckish in between meals and want to have something healthy and warming to tide you over until lunch or dinner.

Super-Quick Miso Mug
serves one

2 teaspoons red miso
a pinch of ground ginger

Boil some water in a teakettle. While you wait for it to heat up, combine ginger, miso, and a splash of water (maybe 1-2 teaspoons) in a mug and mix until the miso is creamy/dissolved. Pour hot (almost boiling but not quite) water over the top to fill the mug.

Pumpkin Bread and Other Holiday Yumminess

I made some really delicious pumpkin bread today, and I thought I'd post the recipe plus list some links to other vegan recipes I've posted for the holidays in years past...

Pumpkin Spice Bread
Super easy to make and no added fat! If you're like me, your waistline will thank you for that this time of year!

16 oz. pumpkin puree
3/4 cup applesauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
egg replacer equal to two eggs
3 cups flour (I used white whole wheat)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 large tart apples, shredded or very finely diced (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat two loaf pans with cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, applesauce, sugar, maple syrup, and egg replacer. Stir the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Pour into loaf pans and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a butter knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Need more ideas for vegan holiday treats? Look no further...

Thelma's Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
No-Cook Mint Meltaways
Vegan Fudge (so good.)
Ginger Lime Cookies
Gene's Holiday Cookies
Lefse (I'm sad to say I haven't found the time to make any this year.)
Fat Free Vegan's Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
Cinnamon Rolls (a McFarland family Christmas morning tradition)

My Christmas Gift to You

You should probably go make these now.

Thelma's Peanut Butter Bars (the new and improved vegan version)

2 sticks (1 cup) soy margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chunky peanut butter
2-1/3 cups powdered sugar
12 oz. chocolate chips

Combine first four ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Spread into a greased 9" x 13" pan. Melt the chocolate chips and spread them over the top.

Cutting these nicely can be a bit of a challenge - obviously you don't want to do it while the chocolate is still soft, but if you wait until it's completely hardened, it has a tendency to kind of shatter when you try to cut them into nice-looking squares. I recommend either cutting them after a short while in the fridge (maybe 45 minutes or so? I didn't time mine...) or chilling them completely, but letting them sit out for a bit before you cut and serve them.

Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese with Daiya

I threw this together a few nights ago and it was very easy and yummy. If you prefer lots of sauce with your pasta, either make more sauce or less pasta; it isn't super saucy in this incarnation.

Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese with Daiya

12 oz. pasta, cooked (I used whole wheat spirals)
2 tablespoons soy margarine
1 cup Daiya cheese shreds
1 cup plain soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

While you're boiling the pasta, combine all remaining ingredients in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for a few minutes, stirring often. Pour sauce over cooked pasta and toss well.

Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles

Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles

2 cups chopped watermelon
1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
2-4 tablespoons sugar or other sweetener, optional

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds* and freeze.

* I used these, and had just a bit of liquid left over.

Whole Grain White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Don't let the whole grain fool you - these puppies are sweet and rich enough to satisfy even the most ravenous sweet tooth (i.e., mine).

Whole Grain White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
(a healthier take on 'Big Gigantoid Crunchy Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Cookies' from Vegan With a Vengeance

2 cups flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
2 cups rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup peanut butter (I used chunky, but either will work)
3/4 - 1 cup sugar, to taste
3/4 - 1 cup brown sugar, to taste
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used vanilla soy milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup vegan white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-large bowl, stir together dry ingredients (flour, oats, baking powder, and salt). In a separate large bowl, combine wet ingredients (canola oil through vanilla). Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir to combine well. Add in white chocolate chips and mix until incorporated. Scoop onto greased cookie sheets, flatten slightly, and bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges.

Food.

I've made some yummy, easy food lately but I was too lazy to go find my camera so sorry, no pics.

Last night, I made very simple rocky road-inspired sundaes for me and Matt - I started with chocolate fudge Tempt ice cream (hemp based, and very good) and added chopped chocolate-covered almonds and chopped Dandies marshmallows.

For lunch today, a quick pasta dish inspired by an item on a list of 100 quick vegan meal ideas that has been circulating lately (I just did a quick search and couldn't find it online - does anyone know the link?) -

16 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) EarthBalance margarine (or use a full stick if you're feeling indulgent)
1/2 cup pine nuts
large bunch fresh basil
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
red pepper flakes, to taste

While the spaghetti is cooking, combine margarine and pine nuts in a small pot and cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until both margarine and nuts are browned. Chiffonade the basil and set aside. After pasta is cooked and drained, return it to its cooking pot and stir in the margarine/pine nut mixture and the nutritional yeast. Spoon into individual bowls, top with basil and red pepper flakes, and enjoy!

Oh wait, I just remembered that I do have one food photo to share... a yummy toasted Dandies marshmallow from our camping trip earlier this week. Yum!

Yummy Salad

So good!

Dressing:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Thoroughly blend all ingredients and pour over spinach salad with avocado, cashews (roasted, unsalted), dried cranberries, and oranges.

Muhammara Bliss

This recipe from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's just-released new cookbook, The Vegan Table is da bomb. I made some yesterday and have been enjoying the most spectacular sandwiches ever since. Here's tonight's dinner - foccacia with muhammara, sliced avocado, chopped cucumber, and shredded carrots. It would have been good with some chopped olives on top as well.

Muhammara

2 to 3 whole roasted peppers (from jar or roasted yourself)
2/3 cup bread crumbs (see below to make your own)
1 cup walnuts, toasted
4 large garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons clover agave nectar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more for added spice)

In a blender or food processor, combine the peppers and all the remaining ingredients. Taste, and add more spice or salt as necessary. Serving suggestions and variations:

* Garnish with toasted pine nuts

* To toast walnuts, just place them on a toaster oven tray and toast for 5 minutes; watch closely or they will burn.

* Serve with pita triangles, fresh bread, crackers, chips, carrots, mushrooms, cucumber, etc.

To make your own bread crumbs: Place some bread (stale bread works great) in the oven until it’s crispy but not really browned - at 300 degrees). Let it cool, then add it to your food processor until it is reduced to crumbs. Add Italian herbs such as dried oregano, thyme, basil, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, etc. Enjoy!

To roast your own pepper: Heat the oven to 525 degrees (or use your broiler if you have one). Place peppers on an oiled cookie sheet. Roast on the highest rack for about 30 minutes or until they turn completely black. It’s not necessary to turn them. Remove them from the oven, and put them in a paper bag right away. Let them cool before handling them. The blackened skin will then just peel off after only about 10 minutes in the bag. Roasting peppers over an open flame is also a great way to do it (and you don’t need any oil). Use your gas range or grill. Use tongs and just turn over an open flame for about 10 minutes until charred. Proceed as above.

Easy Vegan - Pizza!

Becoming vegan (or just trying to incorporate more vegan foods into your diet) doesn't mean giving up pizza! We eat pizza here at our house once every few weeks. Usually I buy pre-made dough and sauce at the grocery store, but for today's 'Easy Vegan' feature, I wanted an even faster and simpler option. Pita bread!


Kids especially love individual pizzas (who am I kidding - adults do too!), and pita pizzas are so quick to make - just spread some tomato paste on each pita, sprinkle on some spices (I used oregano, basil, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes), and add whatever toppings you like. Some of my favorite toppings include mushrooms, olives, sauteed onions, and spinach. Today I had some leftover roasted veggies to use up, and they made a delicious topping.

Instead of dairy cheese, I use Follow Your Heart brand vegan mozzarella. I'm planning a more in-depth post on vegan cheeses in the near future, but in the meantime, here's what you need to know for melting vegan cheese on pizzas - if your cheese doesn't melt from the heat of the oven alone during baking, take it out, spritz it a few times with water from a spray bottle, then put it under the broiler for just a couple of minutes. Be sure to watch it closely so it doesn't burn!

Easy Vegan - Getting Started

Okay, so maybe you're finally convinced that reducing your consumption of animal products is a good idea. Awesome! But now what???

Inspired by Skila's comment on my last post, I'm launching a series called 'Easy Vegan'. Skila writes, "Tell me an easy cookbook or website for vegetarian meals that you like. Here's what I mean by easy - small amount of ingredients, basic stuff here, no hour long prep. I HATE to cook... Get me started. P.S. Without the 'fake meat' would be even better."

Your wish is my command. This will be the first in an ongoing series of posts aimed at inspiring and guiding the veg-curious (but possibly culinarily-challenged) along the path to a more plant-based diet. I'm going to focus on practical, easy ideas and recipes to make the transition as smooth as possible.


First, I'd like to point out that reducing your intake of animal products does not have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Of course, I am a strong proponent of a vegan diet, and I will always encourage that choice; however, I realize that it may not be realistic for every person at this moment in time. But as one of my vegan idols often says, "Don't do nothing because you can't do everything." In other words, if you don't feel able to make a huge change, make small changes instead. Pledge to reduce your meat consumption by half, or eliminate animal products from your diet during two meals a day - whatever works for you. Any movement in that direction is an improvement, and who knows, once you experience the amazing foods, health benefits, and peace of mind that comes with eating vegetarian some of the time, you might just be inspired to take the full-time plunge.


Moving on... let's talk about familiar foods. Swapping out your old omnivorous standards for healthier vegan options doesn't have to feel totally foreign and unfamiliar. Start with what you already know and like; many of the typical foods enjoyed by most American families can easily be made vegan or vegetarian. Consider the following:

• Pizza - vegetarian toppings for pizzas are plentiful and delicious, from veggies such as onions, bell peppers, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives, to tofu- and seitan-based 'meats', if you like that sort of thing!

• Burritos - in fact, almost all Mexican foods are easily veganized - think tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, fajitas, layered dip, nachos... heat up some beans, chop up a few veggies, throw on some salsa, and you're done! If you have a bit more time, rice is a nice addition, as well as sauteed or roasted veggies for an extra boost of vitamins and minerals.

• Pastas - spaghetti is a no-brainer here - either a simple marinara sauce over noodles, with some bread and a salad on the side, or with some mix-ins... veggie 'meat' balls (available in the frozen foods section), chopped veggies (zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach...). Asian pasta dishes also lend themselves well to the vegan touch - veggie stir-fries, either with or without tofu or seitan, pad thai, etc.

• Burgers - whether you opt to make your own or buy one of the myriad varieties now available pre-made, your options here are endless. Go traditional with all the fixings, or try one of my family's favorites, a 'Luigi burger' - top your burger patty with caramelized onions, marinara sauce, and vegan mozzarella.

• Baked Goods - granted, most baked goods are already free of meat, but you can still do better - swapping out eggs and dairy products for more healthful (and certainly more humane) vegan alternatives is as easy as pie (ha ha). Milk is an easy one - simply replace dairy milk with soy, almond, rice, or hemp milk. Eggs can take a little more experimenting, but you have several options - egg replacer, flax seeds, applesauce, and bananas can all be used successfully in place of eggs. I recommend 'The Joy of Vegan Baking' for simple baked goods recipes and some great basic information on stocking a vegan kitchen and making substitutes for dairy and eggs.
  

I could go on (and on, and on), but I'd better save some information for future posts.


I'd love for this series to be interactive and collaborative, so please, if you're among the ranks of the currently-omnivorous-but-veg-curious, leave a comment letting me know what information I can share that would be most helpful to you at this stage of your journey. And to my readers who are already enjoying the vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, please chime in with suggestions for books, websites, or specific recipes that you think qualify as 'Easy Vegan'!

I don't want to ramble on too long, so I'll wrap up this first installment with a plug for VegWeb, a website with tons of vegan recipes that are conveniently categorized and searchable. Skila, you might want to check out their 'Quick and Easy' section.

Yummy dip

I tweaked Bella's original apple dip recipe today and I like the results... give it a try!

Creamy Peanut Butter Dip

1 block firm silken tofu (I used 'lite')
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Cover, chill, and serve with sliced apples for dipping. Enjoy!